Brady Condemns Trump Administration’s Secret Deal to Legalize Machine Gun Conversion Devices

This settlement benefits the gun industry, circumvents gun laws, and paves the way for mass violence

WASHINGTON D.C., May 16, 2025 – Brady, the nation’s oldest gun violence prevention organization, fiercely condemns the Trump administration’s move to quietly settle with the National Association for Gun Rights and thereby allow the sale and possession of Forced Reset Triggers (FRTs) — a type of device that effectively turns semiautomatic firearms into machine guns. This means that these highly dangerous weapons of war can now be purchased anonymously and without a Brady Background Check. 

The devices have been classified as machine guns by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) because they allow guns to fire at rates equal to or exceeding traditional machine guns with a single sustained trigger pull. Machine guns have been heavily regulated by Congress since 1934, and their manufacture for civilian use was banned completely under the Firearms Owners Protection Act of 1986, a bill endorsed by the National Rifle Association.

Under the terms of the settlement, the Department of Justice (DOJ) and ATF must stop enforcing the machine gun designation on FRTs and return thousands of previously seized FRT devices to their owners. The agreement also purports to prevent the federal government from enforcing this ban in the future, effectively legalizing these machine gun conversion devices indefinitely. Instead of protecting public safety by pursuing a likely legal victory, or at the very least going through the public rulemaking process, the administration chose to deviously cut a backroom deal with the gun lobby — and as a result, machine guns will be flooding our streets, unchecked and unregulated.

Kris Brown, President of Brady, said: 

“The Trump Administration’s secret settlement with the gun lobby to permit the sale of Forced Reset Triggers will turn already deadly firearms into weapons of mass destruction. Machine guns are weapons of war that have absolutely no place in our communities. This dangerous backroom deal is not only an astonishing abuse of power, but undermines decades of sensible government gun safety policy and puts whole communities at immediate serious risk. 

The Trump administration knew it would likely lose in court if they tried to overturn the existing law. They also knew they would face overwhelming public opposition if they attempted to legalize these devices through the normal rulemaking process. So instead, they decided to quietly bow to the gun industry and give them the profits they want at the expense of our public’s safety. 

The administration’s decision to settle this case and do it quietly represents a profound betrayal of public trust and public safety. Let it be clear. When this technology is used in a shooting, this administration will be directly responsible for the loss of life. Thoughts and prayers at that point will not bring back those who have been killed.  Brady will oppose this reckless action with every means at our disposal to fight for justice and safety.”